It was a quiet day. We open presents on Christmas Eve … a tradition started by Owen’s dad and continued. Besides, we’d never make it to Christmas morning. Kaitlin can barely make it through dinner and by 8 pm has reverted to five years old. She wants to get to the main event.
So Christmas day is peace. Lots of napping. Movies, some carols on the radio or CD. Maybe some old TV shows. Too much food and we have a ton left over from last night. No one is going to have to cook for at least a week. Amazingly, we all forgot dessert. We didn’t buy it and make it. So we are heavy on dinner, but there’s no dessert at all. Not a pie, cookie or cake anywhere in the house. How did that happen?
Happy Boxing Day!
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Categories: #gallery, #Photography, Christmas, Family, Holidays
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
Svyatki, the Russian Christmastide, follows the celebration of Christmas and lasts until January 19, the day Epiphany is celebrated here. This two-week period is closely associated with traditions of fortune telling and caroling. If anyone asks to buy me a gift, I usually like being given a Palekh laquered box. They have scenes of Mediavel Russian life on them, like scenes from the Russian Orthodox Church, her saints, churches, monasteries, and convents, and Russian royals, children’s fairy tales, the history of Russia, and nature scenes. I love being given an icon, too! When I was a kid, my mothe would make the best borscht for Christmas. Such a magical time here! The snow, the atmosphere and everything else makes Christmas in Russia so enchanted and splendidly beautiful.
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Our Santa Claus is named Ded Moroz, or Father Frost. He is attended by Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden, and he brings presents to children to place under the New Year’s tree. He carries a staff, wears valenki and is carried across Russia in a troika.
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On Christmas Eve we have a Liturgy in the Church, and many people attend.
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We then eat a meatless meal the day before Christmas.
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Awwww, Christmas is so special, and great to celebrate with the family. We all have our own traditions. In Russia, we lay out a table with a white cloth and hay to remind us of the Manger in the Nativity scene.
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This is the test and it passes. The keyboard is working again.
On Thu, Dec 26, 2013 at 12:05 AM, SERENDIPITY wrote:
> Marilyn Armstrong posted: “It was a quiet day. We open presents on > Christmas Eve … a tradition started by Owen’s dad and continued. Besides, > we’d never make it to Christmas morning. Kaitlin can barely make it through > dinner and by 8 pm has reverted to five years old. She wants to” >
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The NEW Hallmark Family!!
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Yes. With all our little secrets.
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Beautiful pictures of family. Now that my boys are older (and we gave them their main present earlier), it wasn’t all about the presents anymore. I worried it would lose some of its excitement, but it was very nice to just relax together and enjoy the fireplace and some special food.
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It does lose excitement, but it gains in other ways. It’s less about Santa and more about family. A good thing, I think.
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How amazing are these pictures…..Seems so much fun ! Love the brightness 🙂
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Thanks! It wasn’t raucous fun, but it was friendly and peaceful and that’s as good as it gets in a family 🙂 The pictures were all taken with a fast lens in natural but low light. Good lenses!
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Yes I guess these lenses are the best ! Don’t know much about the lenses thing though 🙂 Have fun beautiful ! xx
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They are the best I’ve got, anyhow. I’m sure there are better … but I don’t own any better and these do pretty well for me.
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I’m with Kaity! I always want to get to the main event too! Looks as if the puppies got full tummies and took naps! Have a Happy New Year, Marilyn!
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I used to give away everything before I got to wrapping. I was so excited at what I got, I couldn’t wait. I was like a 3 year old. I’m better now. I breathe deeply and hang on! Keeping the boxes out of sight helps. If I don’t see them, I don’t try to give them away 🙂
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I did the very same thing, Marilyn! I hide the boxes from myself too. I was so tickled to hear you say it. Chuckle…
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We stay children in so many silly ways 🙂
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My family has shrunk over the years, but we enjoy it. It is Swiss tradition to celebrate and open the presents on Christmas Eve. Here’s wishing you and yours all the best season’s greetings.
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Ours is pretty small now, too and what is left of it, other than this core at home, is spread out all over the place and we rarely, if ever, see the rest of the family. But that’s the way it is, I guess. Glad enough we have a core family at all.
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Sounds like a good idea! We had a big family Christmas and therefore I didn’t get my nap.
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Napping is important. Mustn’t skip the nap!
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We always open on Christmas Eve, too. The real day is usually anticlimactic.
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AND if you open on Christmas Eve, you get to sleep on Christmas Day. The older I get, the more important that not-so-minor detail becomes.
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